Apparatus for marking sheet material



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Patented June 12, 1934 APPARATUS FOR MARKING SHEET MATERIAL Albert L. McMaster, Lynn, Mass., assigner to Krippendorf Kalculator Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application March 16, 1931, Serial No. 522,911

7 Claims.

This invention relates to marking machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for marking sheet material such as hides or skins preparatory to the cutting of shoe parts.

In my copending application Serial No. 473,587 filed August 6, 1930 I have disclosed a method employed in connection with the cutting of shoe parts from hides or skins. In carrying out this method the skins may be marked prior to the cutting operations in such a way that after the skins are cut the markings on a cut blank can be compared with a chart marked in the same way as the skin thereby making it possible to ascertain from what portion of the skin the cut was made and to determine whether the best use of material has been accomplished. By marking each skin before it goes to the cutter it is possible at any time upon inspection of a cut to ascertain whether the operator is following the prescribed method of cutting.

It is an object of the present invention to provide mechanism which is especially adapted to perform marking operations, of the kind referred to, upon sheet material such as hides and skins. To this end and as illustrated the invention provides novel mechanism comprising cooperating rolls one of which carries markers, together with a carrier for advancing sheet material, such as a skin, between the rolls and gage means by which the roll carrying the markers can be so adjusted that certain markers on the roll will engage a predetermined portion of the work, there being a second gage means spaced heightwise of the carrier for locating the work on the carrier relatively to the roll.

The mechanism above outlined is adVanta-.

geous in that it provides for the marking of skins of different sizes with characteristic markings located in approximately the same relative positions on the skins, whereby similar quality of material in different skins will be indicated by the saine markings.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following description, vwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig, l is a plan of a marking machine em-l bodying the invention;

2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the central portion (Cl. lill- 232) of the machine, as viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, on line 8 8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a development of the marking roll;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line lll-10 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 1l is a plan showing in full lines a skin which has been marked by the machine, and showing in dotted lines the outline of a smaller skin, to illustrate the relationship between the markings on large skins such as calf skins, and on small skins such as kid skins.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated therein, and having reference at iirst more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a marking machine having a suitable framework, herein comprising four legs 15, which support a rectangular frame comprising longitudinal members 16, and transverse members 17, and uprights 18 connected to each other by upper and lower cross members 19 and 2O (see Fig. 8).

The skins to be marked are placed upon an appropriate carrier, herein an endless apron, or belt 2l, extending lengthwise of the machine and over idler rolls 22, one at eachV end of the frame, Each roll is secured to a shaft 23, each of whose ends is mounted in a bearing 24 (see Fig. 3), adjustable lengthwise of the machine to tension the apron. To this end, in the present example, the bearing is received in a block 25, which is provided with horizontal slots 26 to receive bolts or cap-screws 27 extending into the side members 16 of the frame, and to this block there is secured a plate 28, provided with a threaded stem 29, which extends through a bracket 30 on said side member, there being two nuts 3l, one on each side of said bracket to secure the threaded stem, and hence the shaft bearing, in the desired position of adjustment.

It is important that there shall be no sagging of the carrier at any point where it supports the skin, because otherwise the skin could not be laid perfectly flat. To support the upper portion of the apron, and to maintain it in a horizontal plane, I have provided a table or platen, or perhaps more properly two tables or platens 32, upon which the apron rests, adjacent edges 33 of these tables being separated from each other by a space sufficient in extent in a horizontal direction rights 18.

to receive the upper portion of a roll 34, which is tangent with the under side of the apron, and supports the latter in said space. In the present example, this roll has a resilient covering 35 of appropriate material, such as sponge rubber, to enable the roll to yield locally under the pressure of the marking means presently to be described. In the example shown, the under side of the apron engages and is supported by the upwardly disposed part of the roll. Above the roll 34, which may be termed an impression roll, there is a marking roll 36, which, like the roll 34, has a resilient covering 37 of suitable material, such as sponge rubber, to enable it to yield locally, and on this covering there are marking means presently to be described.

The mounting of the rolls 34 and 36 will now be described, reference being had to Fig. 8. Each roll is in the nature of a light drum, one having heads 38 provided with hubs 39, suitably secured as by set screws 40 to a shaft 41, while the other has similar heads 42 provided with hubs 43, secured by set screws 44 to a shaft 45. The shaft 41 is mounted in bearings 46, which are adjustable vertically, as by mounting them in vertically movable slides 47, guided by slots 48 in the uprights 18 of the frame, there being suitable means of adjustment, such as screws 49 attached to the slides and extending through nxed brackets 50, and nuts 51 above and below each bracket to `secure the screws, and hence the bearings, in the desired position of adjustment. The shaft is similarly mounted in bearings 52 carried by slides 53 which are movable in vertical slots 54, and are similarly adjustable by screws 55 extending ,markers 53, one of which is shown by way of example in Fig. 10, the same comprising a type,

Kherein of molded rubber, having a printing face 59. The various characters, such as numerals, letters and lines, will be described more fully hereinafter. The inking of the type faces is conveniently accomplished, as by means of an inking roll (see Fig. 8), having an appropriate covering 6l, such as a layer of felt. To prevent staining of the hides, and to permit ink to be washed off readily, I prefer to employ a washable ink, whose nature is similar to what is commonly known as Chinese White. In practice, the pad on the inking roll is first saturated with water to prevent the ink from working into it, and then the ink is applied to the covering of the roll from time to time, in a suitable manner, as by hand.

As shown, the inking roll is in the nature of ja cylindrical tube, having plugs 63 inserted in its ends to receive stub shafts 64, which are threaded into the plugs and secured as by nuts 65 threaded onto the shafts, and screwed firmly against the outer ends of the plugs. These shafts are mounted in appropriate bearings 66, which are adjustable vertically, as by mounting them in blocks 67 provided with suitable means of adjustment, herein screws 68 secured to the blocks and extending through brackets 69 secured to the up- Nuts 70 threaded onto the screws above and below the brackets secure the bearing blocks in the desired position vertically, and thus maintain proper engagement of the surface of the inking roll with the type.

The mechanism for driving the apron and the rolls will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 8. In the embodiment shown, there is secured to the shaft 4l a sprocket wheel 71, and there is secured to the shaft 45 a sprocket wheel 72 of the same diameter. To drive these sprocket wheels in unison, there is provided a chain 73 (see Fig. 4), one side of which engages the teeth of the sprocket wheel 7l, while the opposite side engages the sprocket wheel 72, thereby to cause the rolls 34 and 36 to be rotated about tieir axes in opposite directions, the lower roll `turning contraclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4 (clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2) and the upper roll turning clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4 (contraclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2). That is to say, the two rolls turn in the proper direction to carry the upper portion of the belt 2l, which is between them, toward the right, as viewed in Fig; 2. The pressure of the two rolls on the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the apron is sufficient to drive the apron without the provision of other driving mechanism. Referring again to Fig. 4, the chain 73 passes also over a driving sprocket wheel 74, and over an idler 74'.

The mechanism for driving the sprocket wheel '.74 should be such as to enable the rolls to be started and stopped at the will of the operator from one or more convenient points on the machine, and preferably from a continuously moving driving shaft. To this end, the sprocket wheel in the present example is loosely mounted on a shaft 75 (see Fig. 7), to which it may be coupled at will, as by a friction clutch of simple form, herein comprising a disk 76 of leather, or other appropriate material, secured to the adjacent face of the sprocket wheel, and adapted to be engaged by a friction plate 77, which is slidably and non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, as by providing the same with a hub 78, connected to the shaft by a spline 79. Thus, the disks 76 and 77 are in the nature of clutch members, which may be engaged by moving the disk 77 axially on the shaft, as by the use of a lever 80 (see Fig. 6) fuicrumed at 3l on a bracket 32, and having a forked end provided with pins 83 to engage a shoulder 84 presented by the hub 78.

The lever is operated by appropriate mechanism, herein comprising a link 35 (see Fig. 6), constituting one member of a toggle whose other member is a short arm 86, secured to a vertical shaft 37, which is mounted in bearings 83 and 39 (see Fig. 4) on the frame of the machine, and has a handle 90, by means of which the shaft be rocked to cause the toggle to move the lever to and fro, thereby to effect engagement l and disengagement of the clutch. When the toggle is straightened, the clutch is engaged, and when in this position the toggle is prevented from passing beyond a straight line, as by providing the arm 36 with a lug 91, to engage the link 85. Naturally, the toggle when straightened will maintain engagement of the clutch.

To enable the clutch to be operated from the other side of the machine, there is provided a second vertical rockshaft 92 (see Fig. 5), mounted in bearings 93 and 94, and having a handle 95, by means of which it may be turned. A link 96 extending across the machine is pivoted at one end to an arm 97 secured to the rockshaft 87, and at its other end to an arm 98 secured to the rockshaft 92.

Returning now to Fig. 7, the shaft is mounted at its outer end in a bearing 99 in a block 100, secured to the outer face of one of the uprights 18, While the other end of the shaft (see Fig. 6) is mounted in an appropriate bearing in the bracket 101 secured to the cross member 20 of the frame. A suitable source of power, such as an electric motor 102, is connected to the shaft 75, as by a commercially available reduction gear mechanism 103, having a driving shaft 104 connected to an armature shaft 105 of the motor, as by a coupling 106, while a driven shaft 107 is connected to the shaft 75 by an appropriate coupling 108. The motor and the housing of the reduction gear mechanism are mounted on the transverse member 20 (see Fig. 5) of the frame.

Thus the rolls and the apron may be driven by power and started and stopped at will by operating either of the two handles or 95 on opposite sides of the machine. When the clutch is disengaged, the rolls Vand the apron may be operated manually by providing the upper shaft 45 with a hand wheel 109 (see Fig. 8).

A skin 110 to be marked is laid upon the apron, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with its flesh side uppermost, with its longitudinal center line extending lengthwise of the'machine, and with the butt adjacent the marking roll. Now, it must be evident that to place the various markings at the desired points on the skin, the latter must be positioned properly on the apron at a predetermined distance from the marking point (the point of tangency of the apron with the marking roll), and that the marking roll must be positioned rotatively in the correct position to bring a given marker to the marking point coincidently with the arrival of the given point on the skin.

To position the skin, I have provided a gauge 111 (see Fig. 2), mounted in fixed position above the apron, and supported by appropriate means, herein a gauge bar 112, whoseends are mounted on the frame, as by brackets 113, one at each end, secured to the uprights 18. 'To enable the marking roll to be adjusted rotatively, so that a given point in its circumference shall reach the marking point at the same instant that the selected point on the skin reaches the marking point, I employ appropriate gauging means, comprising one or more, herein two gauge points 114 and 115 (Fig. 9) on the marking roll, either of which may be brought into registration with a'fixed point, such as an adjacent horizontal portion 116 of one of the brackets 113. In the present example, two such gauges are provided, to enable two classes of skins to be marked, one class being calf skins, and the other kid skins, which are relatively smaller. While there are, of course, variations in the sizes of skins of a given class, I prefer to ignore these variations, and to employ one gauge point on the marking roll for one class of skins, and one gauge point on the marking roll for the other class. Let it be assumed, for example, that 12 square feet be taken as an average area for calf skins, and 7 square feet as an average area for kid skins. The gauge point 114 is used for the skins averaging 12 ft., and the gauge point 115 for the skins averaging 7 ft. If desired, the gauge point 114 may be marked 12 (see Fig. 9), and the gauge point 115 may be marked 7.

In the example shown, there is provided a system of markings which divides the skin into nine areas, defined by two longitudinal lines and two transverse lines, each area having certain markings which distinguish it from the other areas, and which furthermore show the relationship of different portions of a given area with one another, and their relationship with contiguous areas. The arrangement is such that after a skin has been marked, and then cut into numerous cuts for use in boot and shoe uppers, it is possible to compare any cut with a similarly marked chart, and thus to ascertain instantly the exact part of the skin from which the cut was taken.

The present invention is not concerned with this system of marking, and therefore the system will not be described in detail. For the present purposes, it will suice to point out that the markings include two marks 117 and 118 (see Fig. 11), of any desired character, herein diamond-shaped, produced by two markers, 119 and 120 (see Fig. 9), one of which makes a mark near the edge of the large skin 110 (see Fig. 11), at the center of the butt, and the other a mark near the edge of a small skin 121, shown in dotted lines. One of these markers bears a definite relationship with the gauge point 114 (see Fig. 1) on the marking roll, and the other with the gauge point 115. This relationship is such that when the marking roll has been set by the use of the proper gauge point for the size of the skin, and when the latter is passed through the machine and marked, the markings, including the mark 117 on the skin 110, will appear as shown in Fig. 11, while the markings, including the mark 118, will appear on the skin 121, as shown within the area bounded by the dotted lines which represent the outline of such skin. To facilitate placing the skins squarely upon the apron, the latter, as herein shown, is laid off into squares by the use of longitudnal lines 122 (one of which is located centrally of the machine in alignment with the gauge 111), and transverse linesv 123.

The general operation of the machine should be clear from the foregoing description, 'but will be reviewed briefly. The rst step is to set the marking roll for the particular size of skin to be marked. Assuming the skin to be one of the larger type 110 (of approximately 12 it. area), the operator grasps the hand-wheel 109, and turns the marking roll to bring the gauge point 114 into registration with the horizontal portion 116 of the bracket 113. He then places the skin upon the apron, with the backbone, or longitudinal center line of the skin as nearly as possible coincident with the central longitudinal line 122 of the apron, positioning the skin by the aid of the longitudinal and transverse lines on the apron, and with the edge center point of the butt directly beneath the gauge 111 (see Fig. 11). He

is then assured that when, subsequently, the skin is marked, the mark 117 will appear on the edge of the skin at the butt, as shown in Fig. 11. He then starts the machine by grasping one of the handles 90 or 95, and turns the same to cause engagement of the clutch, whereupon power 'is applied through the chain 73 to the rolls 34 and 36, and thus to the interposed apron 2l. The application of power is continued until the skin is carried beneath the marking roll, and the var?- ous markings shown in Fig. 1l are applied to the skin. 'Ihe completely marked skin emerges from beneath the marking roll lying upon that portion of the apron which is at the right of the marking roll as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, and the skin may then be removed and laid aside.

The ink which is used is quick-drying, and the skin may then be taken at once to the cutter, who turns the skin face or hair side up, and makes the various cuts in the customary manner. At any time, a checker may check the work of the cutter by picking up a out, and comparing it with a chart previously marked by the machine. By the use or the marks on the cut, he can ascertain instantly the portion of the skin from which the out was made. As the markings may and preferably will, remain on the back or esh side or the skin, it is possible at any stage of the manufacture or boots or shoes to check the work or" the cutting room, and thus to ascertain whether a given part of the shoe upper has been cut from the proper part of the skin, in accordance with general instructions given to the cutters. The marking is accomplished so rapidly as compared with the time required for cutting a skin, that one machine will mark all of the skins which are to be cut by quite a large group oi cutters.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure iszl. In an apparatus for marking sheet material, the combination of a carrier for supporting sheet material to be marked, a marking roll, gage means spaced from the carrier to enable the sheet material to be positioned upon said carrier in a predetermined position with relation to said marking roll, gage means to enable said marking roll to be positioned rotatively with relation to the first-mentioned gage means, and means to cause said carrier to travel past said marking roll and to cause said marking roll to rotate at the same surface speed as said carrier.

2. In an apparatus for marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a carrier upon which a skin to be marked may be placed, a marking roll spaced from the carrier, gage means located above the carrier in Xed relation to said marking roll to enable the skin to be laid upon said carrier in a predetermined position with relation to said marking roll, gage means comprising a iixed gage and a gage carried by said marking roll to enable said marking roll to be positioned rotatively with relation to the nist-mentioned gage means, and means to cause said carrier to travel past said marking roll and to cause the latter to rotate at the same surface speed as said carrier.

3. In an apparatus ior marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a skin carrier upon which the skin to be marked may be placed, a marking roll beneath and in contact with which the skin may be carried while on said carrier, gage means above the carrier and fixed with relation to the marking roll to enable the skin to be laid upon said carrier in a predetermined position with relation to said marking roll, gage means to enable said marking roll to be positioned rotatively with relation to the first-mentioned gage means, and means to cause said carrier to travel beneath said marking roll and to cause the latter to travel at the same surface speed as said carrier.

4. In an apparatus for marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a skin carrier upon which the skin to be marked may be placed, a marking roll beneath and in contact with which the skin may be carried while on said carrier, said carrier being approximately tangent to said roll, a plurality of markers carried by said roll at diierent points about its periphery, gage means to enable the skin to be positioned upon said carrier with a certain point on the skin a predetermined distance from the point of tangency of said carrier to said roll, gage means to enable a certain marker on said roll to be positioned the same distance from said point of tangency measured circumferentially on said roll, and means to cause said carrier to travel beneath said roll and to cause said roll to rotate at the same surface speed as said carrier.

5. In an apparatus for marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a skin carrier upon which the skin to be marked may be placed, a marking roll beneath and in contact with which the skin may be carried while on said carrier, a support eX- tending lengthwise of said roll, gage means supported by said support to enable the skin to be positioned upon said carrier with a certain point on the skin a predetermined distance from the point where the skin is to engage said roll, gage means on said roll to enable a certain point on said roll to be positioned, by rotating said roll, a like distance circumferentially from the point where the skin is to engage said roll, and means to cause said carrier to carry said skin beneath said roll and past such point of engagement.

S. In an apparatus for marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a skin carrier upon which the skin to be marked may be placed, a marking roll beneath and in contact with which the skin may be carried while on said carrier, a support extending lengthwise of said roll, gage means supported by said support to enable skins of different sizes to be positioned upon said carrier with a certain point on each skin a predetermined distance from the point where each skin is to engage said roll, a plurality of gage means at different locations circumferentially on said roll to enable each of a plurality of points on said roll to be positioned, by rotating said roll, a certain distance circumferentially from the point where said certain point on each skin is to engage said roll, and means to cause said carrier to carry said skin beneath said roll and past said point of engagement.

7. In an apparatus for marking sheet material such as a skin preparatory to cutting the same, the combination of a table, an impression roll, an

endless apron a portion of which rests upon said table and upon said impression roll, upon which apron the skin to be marked may be laid, a gage above said apron to enable the skin to be placed in a predetermined position on said apron, a

marking roll above said apron and above said impression roll and adapted to cooperate with both to mark the skin when the latter is carried by the cooperative action of said apron and said rolls between said roll-s in a direction transverse to their axes, gage means to enable said marking roll to be positioned by turning the latter to bring the same into a predetermined position with relation to said gage and to said skin, and means to cause said apron and said rolls to cooperate to carry said skin beneath and transversely of said mark- Y ing roll.v

ALBERT L. MCMASTER. 

